Data Centre Evolution & Expertise with Bryan Bun-Yin Fung

Bryan Fung, Executive Director, Mission Critical Asia Pacific shares his thoughts on how being a global team with a local presence is helping our global data centre clients grow and expand into exciting geographies.

18 October 2024
Tiempo de lectura : 5 minutes

What inspired you to become an engineer?

It had a lot to do with my character as I prefer the analytical to the abstract. When I started my first engineering degree at the University of Bath in the UK, I felt like I was signing up for an inspiring journey, as well as a future career path. It was a multidisciplinary course geared around the built environment and it taught me, from day one, the meaning of collaboration.

How did you get involved in the mission critical sector?

Today, young engineers can go straight into the data centre industry. However, my career began in the early 1990s – when data centres were still in their infancy. Back then, a chance to work on a computer room project was only with larger corporations such as banks and insurers that had a demand for data storage. The first design project I worked on was a mainframe computer equipment room for a global financial company at Canary Wharf in London – the beginning of mission critical space in the built environment. In 2009, I joined WSP through an acquisition and continued working on data centre projects. Around 2019, my sole focus turned to mission critical and on our hyperscale and colocation projects in Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong.

What is exciting about working in the data centre industry?

Change in our sector is driven by the IT environment. As we know, IT is rapidly changing. Therefore, how we design and deliver data centres for our clients is also changing. As the needs of our clients evolve to suit their own requirements, and those of their tenants, it’s our job to make sure their data centres are versatile and adaptable with flexibility built-in to anticipate for even further technological advancements.

Bryan Bun-Yin Fung

China

It’s exciting to be a part of our growing Global Mission Critical Network. As our clients grow, they are expanding locations across the globe and are looking to us to support their expansions. Collaboration within our network is vital for our clients to hit the ground running in each country without having to reinvent designs or engage additional engineering partners. As a global team with a local presence, we give our clients continuity. We draw on the experience of global mission critical centres of excellence (CoE) in countries like the US, and the wider expertise of our multidisciplinary teams. For example, our seismic experts in New Zealand are helping us design and build earthquake-resilient facilities in seismic zones like Indonesia.

What are some of the key mission critical challenges in Asia?

The availability of power is a key consideration for project delivery, especially when it comes to meeting a tenant’s operational deadline. Since the Covid pandemic, we’ve seen a shift in the supply chain towards sourcing key components from local and regional suppliers. In addition, more clients in this sector are focusing on sustainability and reaching ESG (environmental, social, governance) goals – including using less water.

Working with our energy experts, we’re currently undertaking feasibility studies on a pilot project with a client exploring alternative energy sources including renewables. It could turn the page on how data centres are engineered and how we think about energy resilience – so it’s encouraging to see more clients heading in a more sustainable direction.

Why should engineers join the mission critical sector?

Mission critical offers a dynamic working environment. It’s not just about being busy. The spectrum of work continually improves what we do, because innovative building designs are needed to keep up with rapidly evolving technology. The focused and fast-paced nature of the sector also means a new member of the team could reach a well-recognized level of competence within a shorter project duration, while picking up engineering knowledge that could be applied to other building sectors.

What makes a place and where’s your favorite place?

I like to think of our team as a community with a specific focus while welcoming collaboration with others. We have specific mission critical language we’re accustomed to and that allows us to achieve a sense of belonging. My favorite place is anywhere I’m able to provide opportunities to the Next Generation of leaders and promote knowledge, whether that’s with colleagues or clients.